Is Remote the past or the future of work?

After the COVID-19 surge, has remote work recently gotten unpopular in 2023? Many large tech companies have now turned their backs on remote work. Remote work would decrease productivity, hurt the company culture, generate silos… leading to reestablishing back to the office policies in many tech companies.

How much of this stands and how much can be mitigated? Join our CEO and co-founder, Fred Plais and Chief People Officer, Caroline Leroy to explore good practices from the field and actionable testimonials that can help make remote work fine both for employers and employees.

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Key moments: 0:00 - Intro • Fred Pleas, CEO and co-founder of platform.sh, introduces the topic of remote work. • Shares the company’s history of being remote-first since 2015. • Mentions initial skepticism about remote work and how it has become more common due to the pandemic.

1:13 - Platform.sh work from home since 2015 • Platform.sh has been a remote-first company since its inception in 2015. • Made a bold decision to start as a remote-first company when it wasn’t mainstream. • Despite initial skepticism, they stuck to their decision and have found success.

5:13 - Remote work is declining rapidly • Observes a decline in remote work, despite its surge during the pandemic. • Mentions companies like Amazon, Apple, and Zoom returning to office mandates. • Shares statistics showing a decrease in remote work adoption.

5:47 - Factors contributing to back-to-office mandated • Research indicates three main reasons why companies are mandating back-to-office work. • CEOs and HR executives cite productivity concerns, company culture, and a lack of know-how as reasons for wanting teams back in the office. • Mentions nostalgia for the “good old times” as a contributing factor.

8:01 - Symfony community • Highlights the Symfony community as an example of successful remote collaboration. • Attributes the success to asynchronous communication, common goals, and a decentralized approach. • Emphasizes the valuable lessons companies can learn from open-source communities like Symfony.

12:41 - Why remote work works well in an open-source community • Explains how remote work aligns with the principles of open-source communities. • Highlights decentralized approaches, diverse perspectives, and transparent communication as key factors. • Shows that remote work allows for contributions from individuals worldwide, fostering collaboration and innovation.

14:31 - Introducing Upsun • Introduces Upsun, a fully distributed team working on a project similar to Platform.sh. • Describes the challenge of coordinating a distributed team to deliver a product within a tight time frame. • Shares insights from team members on the benefits of remote work, including flexibility, access to talent, and effective communication tools.

19:55 - Learnings from the Upsun project about working remote • Importance of intentional collaboration and conflict resolution. • Clarity on objectives, timelines, and asynchronous communication. • Access to global talent and productivity benefits across time zones.

21:20 - The Platform.sh remote work’s secret sauce • Trust, transparency, and over-communication are fundamental. • Building a strong culture, management support, and effective communication. • Creating a supportive organizational structure for remote teams.

25:12 - The remaining challenges of remote • Challenges in maintaining culture, onboarding, and autonomy. • Mental health considerations and the impact of limited in-person interaction.

27:41 - We predict remote is here to stay • Benefits of remote and hybrid models for companies and employees. • Access to talent, increased productivity, and better work-life balance. • Challenges faced by companies mandating a return to the office.

31:02 - From the News • Backlash against office return mandates and risk of employee turnover. • Increased attractiveness of remote positions in job postings. • Importance of considering team preferences and adopting a measured approach.

33:36 - Ending